Turlu

This recipe came about as part of my mission to create a dish with high quality vegetables, for less than £10. It is a Turkish recipe that I first learnt from Sam and Sam Clark’s cookbook Moro, a true celebration of vegetables, delicious and full of flavour. This is a seasonal variation—feel free to make up your own recipe based on what ripe and seasonal vegetables you have available to you.

Method

First prepare all of your veg. Root to fruit tip: to prepare the romanesco broccoli leaves, pull the green leaves off the stems. Finely slice the stems and shred the leaves. These can now be cooked like spinach or kale.

Heat a thick based large saucepan with a glug of olive oil, the garlic cloves and the coriander seeds, if using. When the oil is warm and the garlic is slightly coloured, add the chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil, turn down to a low simmer for 10 mins then remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, bring a griddle or frying pan up to a medium to high heat. One at a time, toss the vegetables in a little olive oil then place in the pan. Leave until slightly charred on one side, then turn and char the other side, putting them in a bowl to one side as they are cooked. The onion squash and aubergines should be cooked a bit longer than the rest of the vegetables to make sure they are cooked through.

Heat the tomato sauce and add the vegetables. Cook on a low heat until the vegetables are tender, turn in the romanesco leaves and half the parsley leaves and stalks.

To cook the bulgur wheat, heat up some water until it is the temperature of a hot bath. Rub the bulgur with a little olive oil, place in a container, then pour over enough warm water to just cover it. Cover with a lid or some parchment and leave for 20 mins to sit and cook. When it is done, it should be cooked through but ever so slightly chewy. To finish, turn through the rest of the parsley leaves and stalks and the tops of the spring onions.